Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/61

 THE GUAEDIAK. 45 interpreted to mean that the convicts were to remain in the 1^89 colony nntil their sentences had expired.* It is also satisfactory to know that Riou's conduct all A^Swy?^ through met with the approval of the authorities in Eng- land. Writing to him, on the 9th October, 1790, on behalf of the Lords of the Admiralty, Mr. Secretary Stephens wrote : — concern on the receipt of the melancholy contents of the first- mentioned letter [the letter of the 25th December, 1789] oou'd only be exceeded by the satisfaction they received from the account of your miraculous escape, which they attribute to your skilful and judicious exertions under the favour of Divine Provi- denca And I am further to acquaint you that their Lordships entirely approve of your having sent on to the settlement of New South Wales, by the transports which touched at the Cape on their way thither, such of the convicts and superintendents of convicts as had survived, and of all your other proceedings so far as the same have come to their knowledge. ''f This will hardly be considered extravagant praise under An oiBdai the circumstances, but it was not usual in those days for official approval to be expressed in anything but the coldest and briefest language. Phillip's services in New South ditioD, viz., thafc only those who had behaved well in the colony should reoeiTe the pardon. SincCi according to Collins (vol. i, p. 193), only thirteen were emaDcipated (the warrants were signed in Deoember, 1791), it follows that six out of the nineteen who arrived at Sydney (one having died on the Toyage) forfeited the reward they had earned. One of them came to a had end ahortly after his arriral in the eolony. Haying stolen a sheep from the Commissaiy, Mr. Palmer, he was tried by the Criminal Courts conricted, sentenced to death, and executed. Phillip might hare felt disposed, con- sidering the sendees that had been rendsred by this man on board the Guardian, to show mercy, but the preservation of the live stock was a matter of vital importance to the settlement at the time, and the law was allowed to take its course. Collins finds it necessary to aoconnt for the GoTcmor's refusal to pardon in this case : — " The preservation of our stock was an object of so much oonsequenee to the colony, that it became indi^ensably necessary to protect it by every means in our power. Had any lenity been extended to this oJSender on account of his good conduct in a particular situation, it might have been the cause of many depredations being made upon the stogk, which it wm hoped his punishment would prevent." — Collins, toL i, p. 182. t Historical Becords, vol. i, pot 2, p. 406.
 * ' I have their Lordships' commands to acquaint you that their
 * Historical Becoids, rol. i, part 2, p. 642. There was another oon-